Five Days of Holiday Hell
by ericastwilight
Summary: Bella has a love/hate relationship with the holidays. Don't get her started on office gossip and the company's Secret Santa. Five days of sneaking around to deliver gifts to someone she could barely tolerate is pure torture! When her first gift arrives, she wonders how someone got it right on the first try. By the second she considered joining WITSEC. Written4PandorasBoxisHeavy.
1. Chapter 1

**Five Days of Holiday Hell**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Bella Swan would say she had quite the imagination. She loved fantasy and horror, enjoyed the occasional space opera and even dabbled in some role-playing games. In the five by five space on the office floor, her imagination worked in overdrive. How else did someone get through the bullshit that was an eight to five job with some of the laziest coworkers in the company?

Lauren Mallory leaned against Bella's desk, as she popped her bubble gum for the tenth time in the last hour, this time on the tail end of the latest office gossip. The new guy was to die for and nothing like the other IT nerds. Edward Masen was Grade A fantasy material.

Bella's current fantasy was for Lauren's bubble gum to suddenly become sentient and pop her instead. She could easily picture Lauren's perfect chignon inflate along with her cheeks, bigger and bigger until POP! She didn't care about office gossip or the width of Edward's finger span.

Fucking amateur. How the man sat gave a better idea of the size of his tool.

"Do you have a point in which you will walk away? Unlike you, I have work to do, Lauren." Bella tapped her fingernails on the desk and offered Lauren a smile, well aware of how the noise annoyed Lauren.

Lauren's left eye started to twitch.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The sneer Lauren sent her barely a registered at a 3.5 on a Bitch Face Meter. It also made her ruby red lipstick smear her upper teeth.

A good person would tell her about it, but there was none of those around, Bella least of all. They were pretty rare, probably because they gave Bella a wide berth since the office Halloween party where her boss, Aro Volterra, of five years announced Lauren's promotion, who'd been there less than a year, was shit at her job but loved to boast that she could make a man come in her mouth in less than five minutes.

Instead of answering Lauren's question, Bella returned her attention to the Braverman's account. The moment her arch-nemesis started to walk away, she mimicked the sound of a sloppy blowjob, instantly stopping Lauren in her tracks.

The sounds didn't start again until Lauren kept moving. "You suck, Bella."

_Better than you, _Bella thought to herself as she stopped the porny noises.

Someone cleared their throat and she turned to face one of her bosses Carlisle Cullen, a handsome Brad Pittesque blue-eyed God, but with Ryan Reynolds glint in his eyes. The mirth in those blue babies was quite clear, he was used to Bella's brand of humor and antics. However, his companion, a red-faced, six-foot-four lumberjack was not. A flannel-wearing, bear wrestling, mountain man in IT? Had she died and gone to heaven? Was her imagination fueling her spank bank?

Bella grinned, holding out her hand. "You must be Edward Masen, I've heard good things about your hands. Not that's it's relatable to the size of your tool."

Edward's face got redder. It was kind of cute. Too bad Bella was on a man-free diet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

After the brief encounter with the man whose tree trunk Bella wouldn't mind climbing, she had to grab some much-needed caffeine. The morning was off to a wonderful start, minus Lauren's hourly visit.

Left alone to her own devices, she got work done. Simple as that. Sure she often worked with a team, but Mr. Volterra knew she worked better as a lone wolf. Her boss sent her the hard or on the verge of financial ruin files and she always pulled them back from the brink. Yet, a hundred percent success rate wasn't enough for her to earn a cushy corner office.

Why? Was it her sparkling personality that lost her the promotion? Her lack of filter? Her 10.9 on the Bitch Face Richter Scale scowl? Or maybe it was the fact she karate chopped Aro's wandering hands more than once?

She had threatened to leave the company, even took a two-week sick leave. Her boss had called her to his office within seconds of returning to work, offered her an awesome pay raise and first dibs on the next position. And not some made up one, too. She put Aro on probation, a fact he was well aware of and did his best to not piss her off anymore. Honestly, Bella believed her boss was scared of her.

"Excuse me, Miss Swan?"

That voice melted Bella's panties in an instant. Scorched itself in her memory bank she'd undoubtedly unearth when she was in bed later. (Man-free diet, remember?) All deep and smooth, a slight accent she couldn't place. She turned to face the devilish voice already knowing who'd be standing behind her.

Edward's eyes were green, and not just any shade. They were dark around the edges glowing brighter toward the middle, mesmerizing and hypnotizing.

_You are on a man-free diet. Not even a nibble, Bella!  
_

The reminder allowed her to muscle up a friendly but cautious smile. But from the way his timid smile fell, she suspected she came off as homicidal. Oh well, if it kept his timber out of her mill, it was probably for the best.

_Liar! You're such a fucking liar._

"Hello, Mr. Masen, did you need something?"

A giant hand with a finger span as long as her beloved T-ruler came up to run through his auburn hair. No wonder Lauren wouldn't shut up about his hands. Her mind immediately decided she needed to get him to sit down so that she could calculate the size of his tool, timber, whatever!

"Would you mind showing me how to work that fancy machine?" He gestured toward the Keurig machine behind her. "I never used one before, used to the old-fashioned ones."

"Sure." She waved him closer and immediately regretted it. He smelled like an intoxicating combination of mint, outdoors, and pure masculine male. Though he kept a respectful distance from her, she felt the heat from his body nearly pushing her against the counter. "There's a lot of variety we keep in stock, everything from regular and decaf, to hot chocolate and tea. I assume you like your coffee a bold and bitter?"

She picked up a black K-cup, showing him and looking over her shoulder to find him smirking. A facial event that should be illegal in all fifty states. He could melt panties in a five-mile radius with that shit.

"Bold and bitter sounds fucking amazing."

Bella had a feeling he wasn't talking about the coffee. She cocked a brow, making him blush and look away first.

_Don't most people give up diets in December and start fresh in the new year?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Bella handed Edward the cup of coffee after it finished brewing, this time doing her best to give him a genuine smile. He looked momentarily stunned when she beamed at him, then again, maybe her overactive imagination read too much into it.

"So how does a guy from IT not know how to use a Keurig?"

Edward quickly looked down at his cup he'd been stirring for far too long after adding a splash of creamer and a dash of sugar. "Honestly, I hate those things. Got one for Christmas and its been collecting dust after my first attempt. The convenience is nice, but it doesn't heat the water for the coffee enough."

"Thank you!" Bella threw her hands in the air. "Finally, someone that understands why I dislike it. Give me some freshly ground beans, a percolator, and a proper filter and I'm a happy woman."

"Happy?" Edward dared to form the word as a question.

It instantly put her back up, and with her hands on her hips, she gave him her best Bitch Face. The hot fucker stepped back, likely awed by its avenging glory. When he realized he did move, he shuffled half a step closer.

Her eyes narrowed. "What did Carlisle tell you?"

Was that a bead of sweat dripping down from his temple? The charming flush in his cheeks tapped at her guilt for a second. Then she remembered what he implied; they had talked about her, as in gossiping.

Plus, it was no one's business if she was happy or not.

"I'd rather not throw my new boss under the bus, or in this case, sexy as fu…uh, I mean, heels, on my first day." He looked around wildly for a second, his eyes having a eureka moment when he spotted what he was looking for. He stepped toward his salvation and returned with a chocolate cookie for her. "Uh, here. He did say you were amazing at your job and to never get on your bad side. And he may have of mentioned that Lauren is still finding glitter sticking to her after you glitter bombed her desk."

"_Allegedly _glitter bombed her desk, it was never proven." She grabbed the cookie from his hand and proceeded to bite the delicious Nutella stuffed piece of heaven she made the night before. She moaned as the taste hit her tongue, licking the chocolate from the corner of her mouth.

Chocolate in most forms was her weakness.

All the while, Edward stared with his jaw dropped, his tongue making a temporary appearance to mimic the sexy as fuck display of food eating porn he'd ever seen. He had two choices at the moment, run like his ass was on fire to avoid embarrassment or sit down to hide the big problem below the belt.

"Sit down, Cullen. You look like you're about to be sick." She pushed him down into an awaiting chair behind him. His replying grunt was not due to pain but the way the scene continued in his head. He imagined her pushing him down with her heeled foot, then proceed to climb onto his lap to do wicked things to him.

Something registered before he could find an appropriate response. "Wait? What did you call me?"

Bella popped in the last bite of the cookie into her mouth, her eyes closed in pure bliss, sucking on the tip of a chocolatey finger. "Cullen." She shrugged. "Your aunt complained about her nephew not shaving for the entire month of November. Plus, you have her hair color."

Edward's parents died when he was a kid and his aunt and uncle adopted him.

"You're not going to tell anyone, right? I'd rather people here didn't treat me differently."

"I won't tell anyone. As long as you stay out of my lane, we're good."

Bella had to step back when Edward looked at her with laser-focused eyes, accompanied by a devastating half-cocked smirk. His lips looked inviting and soft, surrounded by his beard.

_Nom, nom, nom._

Just as he seemed to pluck up the courage to say something, Lauren sashayed her way into the employee lounge. The double D's were soon followed by all her blonde hair, blue eyes, and ass. "There you two are. Here, fill those out. I need them by lunch and everyone is doing it." She gave Edward bedroom eyes and batted her lashes at the tail end of her demand.

Bella rolled her eyes, hiding a smile when Edward shuddered after Lauren's overly perfumed wake. She looked down at the sheets of paper her nemesis dropped off and started to curse.

_Secret Santa Questionnaire._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Bella pulled out a pen from the messy bun in her hair, dark waves falling around her shoulders. She ran a hand through it, a habit she did when she needed to think.

Edward shifted in his chair, clearing his throat, catching her attention. "I take it from your reaction that you don't like Secret Santa?"

She shrugged. "We have about six people who don't celebrate the holiday, and it isn't fair to make it mandatory. Also, what if someone among us simply can't afford to participate, you know?"

He hummed but looked unsure. "Understandable, and it makes sense, but they're not the reason _you _don't like participating in it."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, most of my coworkers are assholes, why should I spend so much time and effort to essentially reward them for it? I mean, we have to deliver these gifts secretly, it's what makes it fun apparently. And every year it becomes a competition to outdo each other. Besides, I'm kind of an asshole, even if it's the only way to get any work done. What if someone spat on my chocolates?"

"You're not an asshole, more like, you refuse to put up with anyone's bullshit." He went back to the questions.

Bella didn't like how quickly he figured her out and returned to the questionnaire.

_Favorite Candy:_

Bella huffed, thinking of possible answers. "Oh, I know! Fast Break, 100 Grand, Take 5." She loved her work breaks and her chocolate.

Edward snorted, shaking his head. "You might as well have fun with it." He looked at the next question. "What would you like this Christmas?"

She proceeded to write her answers as she said them aloud. "A boss that would have a conversation with me, instead of my tits. Or a raise, or another job."

Confused, Edward watched her for a few moments. "Please tell me my uncle isn't…"

Bella's eyes widened. "No! Aro and James mostly, on occasion a couple of other colleagues. Sad thing is, I got used to it." She pointed to the sheet of questions. "I'm sort of, how you mentioned, having fun with it, while also having my say."

Edward's concern didn't diminish. "If they bother you or make you uncomfortable please let HR know, Ms. Hale, a good friend of the family, will listen."

She could only nod, not used to having someone be concerned on her behalf. It was rare when she needed anyone to back her up. She could take care of herself and have done that quite successfully since she was eighteen.

Uncomfortable with the topic, she felt vulnerable and needed to change the subject. "Favorite drink?" If Edward saw right through her, he didn't call her on it. She chewed on the end of her pen, deep in thought.

"Hard liquor?" he suggested quietly, his questionnaire capturing his full attention again. His cheeks were once again flushed with color, she wanted to know why.

_My man-free diet is doomed to fail with him around._

"Just in case, I'll jot down my favorites. Maybe I'll get me some of those cute tiny bottles." She waggled her eyebrows. "If I do, it'll be a very merry Christmas for me."

They unknowingly leaned toward the other, enraptured by delicious scents and sinful voices as they continued working on the questions. Lauren walked by the employee lounge a few minutes later, with several completed forms, deciding she'd take an early lunch.

However, she saw how cozy Edward and Bella were and decided to interrupt their little talk. "Break is over, Bella," she nearly hissed. Then she realized she likely looked unbecoming, straightened up and repeated herself a little calmer and more professional.

Bella had to look away from Edward's long fingers and leveled the woman with her tried and true, "don't fuck with me" glare. "We have approximately two minutes left on our break, not that it's any of your business considering neither of us works under you, no matter how much you wish it. If you'd like to file a complaint against me, take it up with Mr. Volterra, my actual boss."

Lauren stomped away.

"She doesn't like you much," Edward stated the obvious.

It was Bella's turn to snort. "Normally, she wouldn't have dared to say anything, but you're the shiny new toy that she'd like to play with and she's always been territorial."

Edward looked horrified by the idea. "I need to get back, would you like me to drop that off for you?"

Bella nodded and put the finishing touches on the final question, complete with a few doodles of what appeared to be dildos. "Yes, please." She folded the sheet of paper, handing it to him. Her breath hitched as his thumb brushed the top of her hand.

"I hope we'll see each other again, Bella. Though considering IT is down in the company's basement, five floors below, it might be quite a while."

She grinned. "Aw, nobody down there but the company's most unwanted." A little play with a quote from one of her favorite shows.

Edward laughed. "X-Files fan, nice."

Bella cursed her blush and got to her feet. "I should be going, too. See you around, Masen." She took her lackluster coffee, adding a little sway to her hips. A peek over her shoulder as she left had Edward looking away quickly. He had yet to get up from his chair but the color in his cheeks was enough of an indication that her ass looked amazing in her pencil skirt.

Edward exhaled sharply once Bella disappeared around the corner. He needed an extra minute to get some control. Three years trekking through foreign mountains and exotic locations around the world left him a little starved for intimacy…sex. Once he had returned, casual hookups no longer interested him. His last relationship four years earlier ended horribly. He even thought he'd never want to take a chance again.

Bella proved him wrong.

A few minutes later, he stopped by a small table near Lauren's office with an over the top display for Secret Santa, making note of the rules. There was a box to slip in completed questionnaires and it was almost full. After a moment of hesitation, Edward pocketed Bella's questionnaire and stuffed his in the box.

He knocked on Lauren's door. "Come in."

He popped in his head, offered her a small, neutral smile. "I just dropped off mine and Ms. Swan's forms, do you mind if I pick one now? I'll be in and out of the office all week."

She waved. "Sure thing, honey. If you happen to feel a sticker on it, it may or may not be mine." She winked.

"Sure thing. Thank you."

With a spring in his step, Edward left the office floor but not before catching a glimpse of Bella in that sexy skirt. He hoped he hadn't just made a huge mistake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Bella looked over the questionnaire she handpicked herself and cursed the office gods. In an event she wanted nothing to do with, Lauren was the last person she wanted to buy gifts for, ever.

Why not Angela from Accounting? She was the most tolerable person Bella knew at work.

Angela did chew loudly and slurped her coffee throughout meetings to the point Bella would twitch. It wasn't as bad as Jock Itch Jacob, or Mucus Mike, like seriously, _blow your nose, dude. _She could handle Angela.

Lauren + Secret Santa = Five Days if Holiday Hell.

All of Lauren's answers were ridiculously priced items, it was hard to have positive thoughts about the woman. Did she really expect her Secret Santa to have fancy chocolates delivered in from New York? She apparently hates gift cards, since they're so impersonal according to Laurent's dislikes.

Instead of stating sizes for typical clothes, she listed her bra size to help determine what size to get her in blouses and sweaters. Who did that?

Lauren did.

Bella would have to go out of her way to be Secret Santa to the office's equivalent of Satan.

A headache started behind her right eye as she read Lauren's hobbies; pole dancing, skinny dipping, and makeup. That kind of stuff didn't bother Bella in the least, but in a professional setting, nope. Except for the last one, which gave her an idea.

Maybe she could have fun with it.

She started to cackle, raspy, head thrown back, "you're too late", type of evil laugh.

The kind that had Edward, who'd been in Mike's office for a quick software update, backing away from her.

Bella spotted him from the corner of her eye. She hadn't seen him in a couple of days, a travesty, though good for her diet. All six foot plus inches of him was decked out in a more business casual look. No more flannel and jeans like on his first day. His suit, sans coat, fit him to perfection and showcased a gorgeous body. She wanted to wrap the skinny black tie around her wrist and tug him closer.

Her response to his retreat was to give him a sinister smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"

_Is it hot in here? _Edward swallowed hard, shaking his head. "I just wanted to say hi."

Then he all but ran in the other direction, hoping not to give his body's inappropriate response away.

"Damn," Bella muttered as she watched Edward walk away in a fast clip. "I need to remember to cackle in private."

Several others agreed around her, some even suggesting she never laugh like that again. There was only so much evil the office could handle.

.

.

.

* * *

Edward started to pace and freak the hell out the following Monday. The dungeon, aka the company's IT department, was a cold floor they shared with the mailing department. It was the first day of five days of Secret Santa and though he had good intentions by taking Bella's questionnaire, he regretted what he'd done.

She filled out the sheet and expected to get gifts, even if she didn't want to participate. Was it fair for him to help her out by omitting her sheet? No, not without her knowing.

Taking the sheet meant she'd be spared the gifts, but she would still have to do her part when she picked out a name. Something she already expressed she disliked.

So far, everyone had gotten one, including himself, except for her.

Something Lauren and James pointed out when several coworkers had lunch together. She pretended not to be annoyed throughout lunch, but the little line between her sexy as fuck eyebrows remained.

Edward stared at the little red bag on his desk that taunted him. It reminded him that Bella was likely wondering what the fuck was going on? Would it hurt her if she didn't get one?

He knew personally, he'd be offended if he participated and the one that picked out his name failed to deliver on their part. Would she feel the same?

He'd been doubting himself all weekend and had bought a gift, just in case. How did he deliver it without exposing himself? The end of the day was fast approaching and he had to do something.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He rubbed his face hard and groaned. "What the fuck was I thinking?"

Ben, who often handled calls from Bella's floor, approached Edward with caution. "Are you alright?"

He could only shake his head, then quickly nod, only confusing Ben more. "I'll be fine."

Did he really believe that? Bella could kill him or tear him a new asshole once she finds out he was her no-show Secret Santa. He had to deliver the gift. Period.

"I'm heading up to Cullen's office to finish putting together his new computer."

Ben pointed to the gift on the desk. "Are you going to open that?"

Edward didn't want to, feeling too guilty for fucking up something so simple. "I guess." There was another wrapped gift under the bag. "Two gifts?"

"Lucky." Ben reminded him about the work order forms, heading to his desk. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah." Edward opened the bag first and smiled at the two pairs of Star Wars socks, sets he didn't already own, one had tiny porgs all of them. He picked up the other gift, a thin rectangle package.

Shock ran through him when he unwrapped a Blu-ray of the first season of X-Files.

A note fell out of the wrapping, a lightly perfumed notecard.

_I had an extra one and couldn't return it. Thought I'd give it to a fellow fan. What's your favorite season?_

_Bella_

"Fuck me."

.

.

.

* * *

Bella tapped her fingers on her desk as Lauren droned on about the Williams account and tried not to think of the fact that she was the only one in her department not to receive a Secret Santa.

A part of her was annoyed that she cared, the other part wanted to say, oh well, she was happy not to get one. A devil appeared on her shoulder and wondered, what the fuck?

A commotion in the hallway made most of the people in the conference room, turn in unison. Through the glass wall, everyone gawked as Edward struggled with his tools, two large satchels, and a rolling cart filled with heavy-looking computer towers.

Bella rose to her feet and was out the door, cursing her fellow colleagues under her breath. "Need a hand?"

Edward wouldn't look at her, the telltale flush to his cheeks prominent as he nodded. "Can you?" He tipped his head toward the others still staring at him.

She snorted. "As if they have a choice."

"Then, yes please."

Together they straightened out the towers that almost tumbled off the cart and picked up various tools that fell out of his bags.

"Thanks, need to get that wonky wheel fixed," Edward mumbled. They both rose from the floor and walked away from the rubber-necking coworkers.

Bella smirked and bumped her arm against his. "Are you thanking me for my help or the gift I left you?"

His head snapped up; his dark green eyes intense. "Why did you give me that? Are you going to make fun of me?"

Bella wanted to tell him to fuck off but realized something. "That would be stupid considering I admitted I'm a fan, too."

His tense shoulders started to relax. "Sorry, it's just…"

"Someone has made fun of you before?"

Once again, he wouldn't meet her eyes but he answered in a quiet voice. "Ex-girlfriend."

"Give me her information, I'm going to have a talk with her."

Edward looked up again, wondering if she was joking. It didn't look like it at all. Those sexy eyebrows nearly screamed, "I'm about to fuck somebody up."

"Pardon me?"

"Name and address." She pulled out her phone and opened a notepad app, ready for the information.

"I…" Edward rubbed the back of his neck and wondered why his body reacted so strongly to her protectiveness. "That isn't necessary."

"Come on! It's just a little talk." She pouted, her lips a dark pink that afternoon, called to him.

"If you give her that look you gave Mike earlier, I doubt she'd survive."

She laughed but nothing like the scary as fuck cackle from Friday. Yet, both were sexy in different ways and not helping his situation.

"Thanks again for your help and the Blu-ray. Been meaning to start up my collection again."

She wanted to know what he meant by "again". There was time to get to know one another, and hopefully, they can do lunch alone soon.

"So, you don't own it?"

He shook his head and cursed the time. "I need to get this to Mr. Cullen's office."

Bella sighed. "And I have to get back to the meeting. See you around?"

"I hope so."

.

.

.

* * *

Exhausted from the meeting, Bella returned to her desk to find a small parcel wrapped in the comic strip from a local paper and red twine.

For the last few years, she always figured out who was her secret Santa because most people are naturally curious and like to watch who they bought a gift for.

Nobody seemed to be paying attention to her as they all readied to head home for the day.

Curious and slightly irked, she opened the gift and almost gasped out loud.

It was a journal with an embossed triforce symbol from one of her favorite video games series, The Legend of Zelda.

Absently, she rubbed the tiny tattoo right behind her ear, a triforce symbol surrounded by vines. No one in the office seemed to notice and friends outside of work didn't know what the fuck she was talking about. How did her secret Santa know?

"What the fuck?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Five Days of Holiday Hell **

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Bella had to work an extra couple of hours to make up when she'd leave early on Wednesday. Being alone in the office never bothered her and often was the perfect opportunity for some payback.

One quick check around her, she realized everyone had left for the evening. A cackle released as she rose to her feet and rubbed her hands together in glee.

Lauren aka Office Satan had loved the eye shadow palette Bella had left her, most in shades of dark blues and purples. The sparkly eyelashes and hair bows should have arrived at her apartment. All separate the items appeared friendly but combined with the can of hairspray and style inspiration she intended to deliver as the last gift, she hoped Lauren would show her true colors.

She heard a shout of "Oh fuck!" and a series of thuds from Carlisle's office. The door swung open and Edward glared at her. "You need to warn people when you let out that evil laugh!"

He huffed, and he puffed, and Bella wanted to blow him.

His cheeks flushed from fear or embarrassment, nostrils flaring hard, and one hand over his heart. "You scared the fuck out of me, Bella."

"Say it again," she gasped, her heart pounding.

Confused and cautiously moving toward her, Edward cocked his head. "What was that?"

"Can you repeat that?" She had to hear him say her name again. Smooth caramel voices didn't hold a candle to his rough and tumbled sonnet one.

"Repeat what? The 'oh fuck' or the 'you scared the fuck out of me.'"

The way his teeth scraped over his bottom lip for fuck had her clenching her thighs together.

"I'm on a man-free diet!" she blurted out and dashed to the bathroom.

Her words dumbfounded Edward for a solid three seconds before a smile broke out on his face. Something told him Bella was going to cheat on her said diet soon. He'd been waiting for any sign they were on the same page.

He calmly walked into the coed bathroom and watched as she washed her hands singing a rather familiar chorus.

_I want to fuck you like an animal. I want to feel you from the inside._

"What are you doing?"

She squared her shoulders and met his eyes in the mirror over the sink. "My aunt is a nurse, and she always said we had to wash her hands for twenty seconds."

He waited for more as she continued to belt out the words to the song _Closer_. Once done, she carefully dried her hands and turned to face him. "The chorus is the perfect amount of time."

"Must you sing it at the top of your lungs?"

She shrugged and then nodded. "I don't sing it that loud, but no one has complained."

Edward cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "You sing that while everyone is here, too."

"They tired of Happy Birthday so I started using this one, I think they're afraid I'd start rapping next." She then floored him with Eminem's chorus for _Lose Yourself_. "Or some Lizzo."

There was no stopping himself, it was inevitable. He laughed, the kind that bent you at the waist and prevented you from breathing. Loud and proud and giving no fucks, Edward laughed and Bella joined him.

Bella asked him to wash to his hands since he touched the door handle to the restroom.

Edward shook his head while she held the door open with her hip and did as she said while singing the same chorus. The scrape of his teeth over his full bottom lip, the way his darkened gaze met hers in the reflection, it was too much.

Bella got light-headed, her mouth watered, and her knees shook. The state of her panties should issue a state of emergency due to flooding. The spots in front of her eyes were another indication of what was about to happen.

"I'm about to pass out."

Edward shouted as he ran to grab her, but it was too late.

* * *

**AN: ****This chapter brought to you by the ad... WASH YOUR HANDS! ****Hope everyone is doing well and being safe. If you're on the front lines, sending all of you some positives vibes. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Five Days of Holiday Hell**

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Edward tried not to dwell on how soft Bella's skin was or how her hair felt like silk. He laser-focused on the fact her head hit the door handle to the restroom on the way down. Cursing himself for not being fast enough, instead, he'd been too busy undressing her in his thoughts as he sang _Closer _and watching through the reflection where their eyes met.

"I'm so going to hell for this." He swept her into his arms and headed toward his uncle's office. It was one of the few that had a nice couch. The two in the employee lounge needed cleaning after catching Jacob and Nessa fucking early one morning since he started. Mike had also taken a ride on it with one intern from another company in the building. There was no need to subject Bella to whatever lived on every horizontal surface in that lounge.

His uncle needed to remind his employees that while inner-office dating wasn't off-limits, they didn't allow fornicating in the office during business hours.

Edward was a stickler for the rules. Then again, Bella could change his mind. Her office desk appeared sturdy. The little demon on his shoulder reminded him it was no longer office hours.

"Not the time," he hissed at his inner devil.

Bella's limp arms twitched and slowly moved to circle around his neck and shoulders. Dark lashes fluttered over gorgeous multi-faceted eyes, a soft smile on her lips. "This is the part in the book where the heroine yells at the hero to put her down, all embarrassed and flustered."

He couldn't help the way his lips pulled up into a knowing smile. "Is that what you're going to do now?" She stretched as he set her down on the couch, one arm over her head, the other still around his neck, keeping him close. Not that he minded one bit.

"I will not yell at you if that's what you mean." Her grin grew, her tongue sweeping along her bottom lip.

A pair of lips he dreamed about every night since they met. "The question I should ask, is, what exactly is the genre are we in?"

Bella's gaze swept from the heavy boots on Edward's enormous feet to the disarray of gorgeous hair on the top of his head. "I'd say Erotic fiction, but I'm a good girl." The coy batting of her lashes almost made him believe her.

Before Edward suggested if she wanted to be bad for once, her stomach grumbled loud enough to send the poor woman to her feet and blushing scarlet.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Edward had to ask. "Is that why you passed out and not my rugged good looks?" He didn't blush _a lot_.

She pointed an accusatory finger at his face and glared. "You, beard, and _Closer _are much too potent for us mere mortals."

Edward thought she was no mere mortal, Demi-goddess at least. "I'm sorry?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "For what? Being too good looking for your own good? Own it, Edward. If not, keep on doing what you're doing, because it's working for you. More than half the staff wish they were you and the other half want to be in you." Her hand flailed around for a second when he choked in surprise, "Or you in them, whatever. Never apologize for being you."

"How about I'm sorry for not catching you after making you swoon?" He almost batted his lashes too but thought it would be too much and it wasn't his style.

Bella looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten. Before Edward was potent, being all blush and smiles, his shy looks had her heart all aflutter. Now, flirty Edward with a touch of fluster and she was a goner. Cinnamon roll heroes were her favorite, and Edward was one sticky bun.

Hot and sticky, yum.

Her stomach decided it needed to make another announcement, rumbling with hunger again. "How about making it up to me with some dinner?"

Edward couldn't tame his smile and eagerly nodded, earning a soft giggle from Bella. "Um, let me clean up and we could head out." He lifted up his watch to check the time, a piece that made Bella salivate. She had a thing for men with watches. "In about five minutes?"

"You don't have to take me to dinner, I was just messing around."

"Well, now I'm offering." Edward smiled and shrugged. "Besides, I still feel awful about the head thing."

The reminder made her rub the sore area and grimace when her hand came back with blood on it. Her head spun along with the room. "I'm really not good with blood." She didn't even have time to warn him before she listed to one side. "Stupid fucking door handle."

Edward caught her and helped her onto the couch again. His hand slid up into her hair, checking the slight cut. "You hit your head harder than I thought. Maybe a trip to the hospital or urgent care before dinner would be a good idea."

"I'll be fine, it's nothing. Been through this before." She shooed him. "Go clean up and we'll leave."

He stood, sweeping her off her feet, and shifted her body until she lay comfortably on the couch. "As if I'd let you out of my sight after swooning twice."

Bella grumbled, "I'm never living this down, am I?"

Arrogant, Edward smirked in response. "Don't close your eyes and keep talking while I get this done." Better safe than sorry.

"Talk about what?" She asked, watching him walk around the room. He had a grace to him that enchanted her, and not because he had a great ass. Though his frame was larger, he moved with ease, as if he choreographed every move. He was fascinating to watch.

"I don't hear you talking."

_That's because I'm trying not to drool. _"I don't know what to talk about."

"That's not good. Dinner would be rather awkward and quiet."

She huffed in annoyance like Edward knew she would. "Well, you probably don't know this about me, but I don't talk a lot about myself to my colleagues. I'd rather keep to myself. When I talk, it's usually without a filter."

"Really? I haven't noticed, but a no filter Bella is damn cute."

She heard the sarcasm in his tone and watched him some more. "I'm not sure I like an Edward that teases me." Liar, she loved it.

The man sent her a look that upped the state of emergency of her underwear and just obliterated them. "For your information, I love to tease and you have seen nothing yet."

Bella's body trembled as her bra felt like it disintegrated because of his words. It was her favorite bralette, too. Then she groaned, "I'm so going to fail at my diet."

"I guarantee it'll be worth your while," Edward sang, humming _Closer _as he worked.

She knew that. "I have my reasons for said diet."

"I'm sure they're all good reasons, I have some hang-ups about relationships, too. I will not use the tired phrase, 'not all men' because I know well that many are quite awful. I've worked in IT departments for years, the things I've seen wealthy CEOs look up…" Edward shuddered. "Anyway, when you're ready, you'll tell me what caused you to go on that kind of diet. If what you need is friend, I can be that, I could use some in the area."

He was so sweet, meaning Bella was in trouble. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Edward smiled and soon swept her into his arms and out of the building, enjoying being Bella's friend as much as her coworker. This is the part where the hero keeps the worry from his voice. Having dealt with minor concussions before, he knew he'd have to keep her with him for hours or the entire night. He had to convince her it was for the best and that he wasn't trying to get into her pants.

Yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Bella knew what Edward tried to do throughout dinner, watching for any signs of a concussion. Still, it was a rather enjoyable meal at one of her favorite Mexican restaurants. Tacos were another one of her weaknesses, the fact Edward knew this early in their friendship startled her.

How did he seem to know what she'd like? She had her suspicions. "Are you spying on me?" she blurted out the question, the best way to catch her victims off guard.

He nearly choked on a drink and had to clear his throat. "I monitor employees searches and such, so in essence yes. I mostly skim. Why do you ask?"

"You knew I'd like this restaurant. I had looked up their hours the other day when I worked late. I figured you used the information you gathered for your benefit."

He drew an imaginary halo around his head and grinned. "Busted. I may have filed that information for future use." His frown did little to mar the rugged features of his face. "Though I must admit, I had no idea I would use the information this soon."

Not giving one fuck about table manners, she placed her elbow on the table, cupping her chin in her palm. His breathing picked up, his eyes widening. She knew the move framed up her cleavage to perfection. So much for her no-man diet. She wanted to get to know the man sitting across from her.

"It stands to reason that you're aware that during one of my breaks last week, I looked up Legend of Zelda tattoos."

Edward pulled at the collar of his shirt, swallowing hard. "I may have come across something like that."

She cocked a slim eyebrow. "Do you have something you need to tell me, Mr. Masen?"

He groaned and nodded. "I'm the worst Secret Santa in the world. I gave myself away in a day!"

Thankfully, Bella only laughed at his half-assed confession. "Did you even put my name in the box?"

He shook her head, doing his best to give her the look that got his aunt to forgive him as a child. "I thought, why should I waste a perfect opportunity to get to know you better. Plus, you didn't seem too fond of the whole thing."

"I'm really not, as I explained the day we filled out the questionnaire. I'm going to try to join in the festivities. Angela and Lauren are tossing things up this year. We're supposed to go to our office holiday party dressed up as our favorite characters from holiday movies or shows but from holiday episodes."

"I didn't know that, thanks for letting me know." His brow furrowed. "You're really not mad? I'd understand if you were."

She shrugged. "You saved me from disappointment, Edward. You have already done more than any of my previous co-workers. Aside from Angela, she really made it special for me two years ago."

"That means I have to step up my game." Edward loved a challenge. "Though your questionnaire didn't tell me what you really wanted."

Bella went with an honest answer. "Happiness, a caring, loving boyfriend, cupcakes, a new tattoo, human rights for everyone, universal health care, living wages, to meet my favorite celebrities to have a beer, the ability to stare someone straight in the eyes and evaporate them right on sight, maybe a pet, more cute dresses, and I don't know, some French toast or something."

Edward noted every one of her desires. "That's quite the list and I wish I had the power to grant them all. I can, however, help with several."

She sipped on her margarita and sighed in pleasure. "Which ones?"

"I guess you must wait to find out." He smirked as her eyes narrowed for a moment, a pleasing smile graced her lips. Leaning toward her, he whispered, "I make amazing French toast."

Bella's thighs closed, and her eyes nearly rolled right out of her head. His husky whisper voice seemed to caress every sensitive inch of her skin. Her visceral reaction on full display for her him to witness.

Edward had to pull away and shift in his seat as discreetly as possible. Bella, in an aroused state, was potent and hit him hard. He tried to remind himself, casual wasn't something he was interested in, at least not with her.

"How can you be both sweet and hot at the same time? I mean, do you have any idea what you do to women like me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, but most women don't stick around to get to the sweet part. I thought this time around, I'd show that side of me." His lips pursed. "Though some people could take advantage."

She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "One day you're going to tell me what she did to hurt you. And I'll find her address and have a friendly discussion with her."

Edward rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Bella, be serious."

"I am being serious. I won't hurt her, but I will let her know she missed out on something fabulous."

"You don't know me enough to know that's true."

"I'm an excellent judge of character. Sure, you stole my questionnaire for personal gain, but you also had good intentions."

He wondered about something. "I know about the rivalry between you and Lauren, is there more to it than being bypassed for the promotion?"

"I dated someone from Bellmore's on the eighth floor for two years, but she caught his eye. I don't blame her; _he _cheated. She didn't know he was seeing anyone. However, when a job came up at this company, she applied and now throws the fact she 'stole him' in my face every chance she gets."

"They're not together though."

"Exactly, she likes to remind me she's better than me."

Edward nearly growled as he pulled her seat toward him hard. "She's not. I don't like bad-mouthing anyone, but I know she's not."

"I know. She's good at some aspects of her job, and I hate putting anyone down, too. We should encourage each other and I try, but she makes it so hard. It's like she forgot the memo or something."

"You're a good person, Bella Swan. Under the tough exterior." He grinned when she huffed and stuck her chin up. "Your secret is safe with me."

She poked him in his solid chest twice. "It better be, or my bitch face will no longer get me what I need when I need it."

He grabbed her hand that caressed him, though she didn't seem to be aware of it. "Now, who did you plan to dress for the holiday party?"

Bella grinned. "I haven't decided. You want to be my partner in crime?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

**AN: All mistakes are mine. Hello to all, I hope everyone is healthy and happy. Writing is so damn hard nowadays and I can't seem to force words on just anything. Something will randomly talk to me and I try to take advantage as much as possible. Though local cafes are closed indoors, I found a safe place to write, once I pick up a coffee. Hoping to try this again soon. Thanks for your support and for reading.**


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